1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fiber optic coupler and the method and apparatus for making the same. In particular, the invention relates to a fiber optic coupler for converting a plurality of spaced apart, input laser sources to a clustered concentrated output. In the method of manufacture, a fiber input end support having a plurality of slots is carried on a winder in circumferentially spaced relationship with a fiber stacking slot. A fiber is automatically located in each of the slots and the fibers are combined in the stacking slot as the winder is rotated.
2. Prior Art
It is known to employ a plurality of relatively low power semiconductor lasers, arranged in side-by-side relation, to pump a relatively high gain medium. In a particular arrangement, disclosed in Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,043, tapered fibers carry a plurality of laser diode inputs to a common output for pumping the gain medium.
In order to achieve the desired results, it is necessary to accurately position the respective fiber ends. This may be achieved by securing the individual fiber ends, one at a time, with respect to each of the laser sources and gathering the output ends of the fibers together into a cluster. The method requires individual manufacture of each device by hand and is thus expensive and time consuming.
There are systems for arranging round optical fibers in bundles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,812 (Simpson) employs a reel to wind a fiber into one or more adjacent rows of multifibers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,215 (Stoffels et al.) employs a frame with alignment pins for winding a fiber into an array of parallel elements in order to produce a ribbon of fibers. However, conventional fiber geometry does not readily lend itself to close packing whereby energy transfer efficiency is enhanced.